Believe it or not, the simple act of standing on one of Las Vegas pedestrian bridges is now illegal. A lot of stupid things happen in Sin City, but if this law appears to be one of the dumbest… and you can thank Formula 1 for this. Yes, you can gamble just about anywhere, find almost every sort of food imaginable, and even enjoy legalized marijuana for recreational use. So what’s the big deal about standing on a damn bridge?
Yes, in a city where just about every sort of vice is allowed or tolerated, the Clark County commissioners have criminalized stopping and standing on all Las Vegas pedestrian bridges. While the F1 race was in town the bridges offered a free view of the race… and the race folks really hated that. So, after watching the masses of people congregate on the bridges… and the stairs and escalators and common areas… the Commissioners have rolled out this brand new ordinance to appease their overlords the F1 people.
Under this new law, anyone who blocks the flow of foot traffic in what they call a “pedestrian flow zone” can be charged with a misdemeanor. The penalty may include up to six months in jail, a fine as high as $1,000, or both. These flow zones, as they call them, include all bridges, and the stairs and escalators the serve them, as well as 20 feet surrounding them. This law goes into effect sometime around January 15th.
As we close, let’s remember that these Las Vegas pedestrian bridges have been in place since 1995. We could not find any records of horrible accidents or injuries that resulted from simply standing on a bridge and snapping a picture, but apparently it is a real and present danger… but perhaps there’s been something to encourage this law other than Formula 1. Basically, the city now treats the bridges as crosswalks in the sky. You can’t stop in a cross walk in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard. And now, you can’t stop in the middle of the bridges over them, either.